


(your love keeps lifting me) higher and higher

by ilikemybooksthick



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Carolina Hurricanes, M/M, Pining, seduction through weight lifting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-19
Updated: 2020-03-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:20:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23210854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ilikemybooksthick/pseuds/ilikemybooksthick
Summary: Andrei's turning twenty this season, so he’s decided to bulk up and add a lot more muscle, not just to celebrate finally being in his twenties, but to also look the part, to prove to the others, specifically Dougie, that he wasn’t just a teenager anymore.
Relationships: Dougie Hamilton/Andrei Svechnikov
Comments: 6
Kudos: 77





	(your love keeps lifting me) higher and higher

**Author's Note:**

> You can thank my procrastination, Vampire Weekend, and Harry Styles for helping in the creation of this work. (I don't lift myself but I know people who do so let's hope I do weightlifters some justice here).
> 
> [moodboard](https://ilikemyficthicc.tumblr.com/post/639775009562411008/your-love-keeps-lifting-me-higher-and-higher)

Andrei is six foot two and almost one hundred and ninety pounds. Being constantly slammed into glass ~~and picking fights~~ is a major part of his job description so he’s in the gym day in day out. Despite his size, he still feels small sometimes. When you have ‘Rod the Bod’ as your coach doing the exact same exercises as you, often much better, the bar is set _extremely_ high. The man is thirty years older than Andrei, pushing fifty, and his lifting skills put the entire team to shame. Not to mention Dougie, the biggest guy on the team, has four inches and forty pounds on him. While it usually wouldn’t be a big deal, as there are so many of players in the NHL bigger than him, Dougie is also seven years older and so there’s a mental weight there too; so he still feels childish and small in comparison to one of his best friends and neighbors. (He thanks God Warren is roughly the same size as him).

This leads to Andrei’s new resolution. As he’s turning twenty this season, he’s decided to bulk up and add a lot more muscle, not just to celebrate finally being in his twenties, but to also look the part, to prove to the others he wasn’t a teenager anymore. He wouldn’t call it being vain, (although others might) but it’s a Canes tradition to ignore the haters and do whatever you want. While he might be trying to look older not only for himself, as it _is_ for ~~one person~~ others to notice him more…okay, so he _might be_ very vain, but he has other redeeming qualities! His teammates think he’s funny, which is more important, especially when your team is as notoriously funny as the Canes.

Despite living so close to the Arena, most of the time Andrei is as lazy as everyone else. Despite being a Professional Athlete™, he will still use the super basic gym at his condo whenever he can. The neighbors are used to him and the boys by this point, so they don’t get as many people bothering them like they did when all three of them first moved in. He still texts Dougie and Warren to join him whenever he’s there. He likes the company and he really wanted them to see the progress he planned on making this season, especially Dougie. He thinks he’s planned it all out right. Starting in the preseason, he hoped to be nothing but pure muscle by his birthday at the end of March.

You can only gain one to two pounds of lean muscle per month and it takes a month for results to start showing for experienced lifters (twice as long for beginners). He wasn’t small or skinny by any means, maintaining the basic level of muscle for the League, but now he wanted to hit an even two-hundred pounds. He was more of a cardio guy, working out to better his heart rate for the short bursts of extreme play per period, but he loved a good fight and liked the idea of his hits making a bigger impact on his opponents. Since building muscle took so long this plan would also be a lesson in patience, another major area Andrei was always working on. He’d practice the same trick everyday even if that meant he could only get the payoff once or twice a season. He hoped to use that mentality in his physical journey too.

+

There are some basic steps to building muscle: 

**Step 1.** _Eat a gram of protein per your ideal body weight. The protein you eat will become the protein in your muscles and is vital to muscle recovery and growth._

Andrei craved borscht all the time. It was his comfort food, and no one made it like his mom. But soup couldn’t cut it as his main meal all the time, not even some of the time, and now that he was trying even harder to train and being even more health conscious, he felt like he could never enjoy borscht by itself ever again; it only qualified as a side now. Even worse was the lack of sugar in his diet. Bliny was a special treat he would have now and again. Whenever he made a particularly difficult goal or broke his own point streak, he would make bliny the next morning, the sugary pancakes reminding him of home. Now, whenever he was felling homesick, he’d ask his mom for other Russian classics: beef stroganoff and piroshky, both loaded with protein and favorites of his friends as well. He made sure his mom made enough for Dougie and Warren too, which earned his mother concerned looks at Harris Teeter, considering the quantity of the ingredients and the frequency in which she bought them. While they were appreciative of the food, they often teased Andrei for relying on his mom for most of his food, doing so little of the cooking himself. He always threatened to cut off their supply, but they all knew he never actually would.

He started buying eggs by the two dozen and, to keep it balanced, bought double what he usually bought of whatever fruits and vegetables were on sale that week. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner all had the correct portions of greens, protein, and carbs. He was also more conscious of drinking different types of water: aloe vera, coconut, vitamin, etc. He didn’t believe in that protein ‘powder’ nonsense. Americans relied too much on processed, from the box meals instead of natural, fresh ingredients and it honest to God scared him and all the other Europeans on the team. That’s why he was so grateful for the homecooked meals, sharing them with his friends was an added bonus. Warren couldn’t always make it to the dinner or gym sessions as he was busy with his girlfriend. Andrei didn’t mind, he was happy for Warren, he had a good solid relationship, a kind that Andrei craved. Ironically, his absence could hopefully increase the chances of that happening, with him and Dougie eating together more and more often. 

**Step 2.** _Train each muscle group twice per week. To maximize muscle growth, plan to train every major muscle group at least twice per week. Even if you don't work that muscle any harder or longer, by simply dividing your chest, leg or back workouts into two days, you'll have more muscle growth._

Calves and lats are notoriously hard to build muscle in, that meant back and leg days were the absolute worst. At first, he made them the last days of the week but then Dougie pointed out by leaving the worst for last, it would just make him dread the working out altogether. By doing them first, the rest of the week would go by faster. So that’s how he came to love arm day, the easiest day, signaling the end of a successful week. He genuinely thanked Dougie for the advice, who replied honestly, “Of course! I can’t wait to see the results! I’m sure you’ll bulk up soon!” Then Dougie waited until Andrei put his weights down to threw in a quick joke, “Good thing you’ll never be as big as me though, gotta dominate you somehow”, he finished with a wink. Andrei swears he’s never gotten that red that quickly in his life. He was so shocked he couldn’t move for a whole minute, Dougie laughing loudly on his way out, leaving Andrei in the gym alone, frozen in place.

They always teased each other, that was the basis of their relationship, but sometimes Andrei couldn’t tell whether Dougie was just teasing or flirting and when he joked like that he gave Andrei way too many ideas, ones that either kept him up at night or meant extra cleaning in the morning. A little hope wasn’t a bad thing, but Andrei was also cautious, being superstitious was ingrained in him culturally. But that didn’t stop him from starting to test the waters a bit more. If dirty jokes were on the table, then so were tricks. Two could play that game.

**Step 3.** _When lifting weights, move through the full range of motion in your joints. The better your form, the better your results, and the less likely you are to hurt yourself. If you're unable to maintain good form, decrease the weight or the number of reps. Proper form matters even when you pick up and replace your weights on the weight racks._

He makes sure to start off innocent and inconspicuous, “Can you spot me?”, a simple request that Dougie has no reason to deny. Their fingers brush each other over the bar as he gets ready. He lifts slower than usual, but not too slow as for Dougie to notice. Yeah, he was showing off. It’s been a few months since he’s started his new regimen and his muscles went from getting tighter to getting thicker bit by bit. Every now and then he’ll throw in a little grunt to capture attention or give an extra flex of a bicep or calve while bending over extra hard.

From meals to the extra gym time he’s constantly spending his free time with Dougie (and occasionally Warren) but it still doesn’t feel like enough. The more and more time he gets, the more and more time he wants. It’s like he’s starving for attention but only from one person. It’s almost like an addiction now. Every smile, every joke, every elbow to the ribs, arm around his shoulder, Andrei was feeding off of it as if he’d never get it again. 

**Step 4.** _Don't hold your breath. Breathe out as you lift and breathe in as you lower it._

There was one week Dougie missed. It was his mom’s birthday and he went up to Canada along with his big brother to visit their parents. Andrei understood; Dougie being such a good son and brother was a major part of the attraction. When he finally came back, the days had felt like ages. When you spend almost 24/7 with someone for so long, even a week can feel like forever. Andrei had put in a little extra time in while Dougie was gone, not wanting to let him down and to prove his consistency. He was already warming up when Dougie walked in, most likely just coming in from the airport, but still making sure to see Andrei straight away. The thought did things to his heart. Maybe that’s why he made the dumbass decision.

In his defense, in the heat of the moment it all made sense. Heart thumping, smile wide, he immediately hugged Dougie and when he finally let go, proudly pulled up his shirt to show off his abs, a previous trouble area for him, and urged Dougie to look. Before Dougie could even react, Andrei grabbed Dougie’s hand and pressed it against the muscle, for him to touch, to feel. Dougie stared intently at Andrei’s hand over his and then back up at Andrei, who was beginning to realize that this was a terrible idea. But if Andrei had crossed a line, Dougie was determined to cross it even further. Dougie moved his hand down and up Andre’s skin and then squeezed his side, hard and appreciative. Andrei couldn’t breathe. Dougie smirked, “Looks good. I better start catching up”, and then moved aside to the treadmill to start his warmup. Andrei was left standing there, like an idiot, and then finally let out a long, drawn out breath. 

**Step 5.** _Don't skip the warmup. Cold muscles are more prone to injury than are warm muscles. Before you lift weights, warm up with five to 10 minutes of aerobic activity._

This was all a mistake. It was all a very bad mistake. While Andrei was putting in the hours, Dougie was putting in the same amount of time, minute to minute, rep to rep. This whole time Andrei was solely focused on what _he_ looked like, how much _he_ was gaining, he totally forgot about the fact that Dougie would be getting results too. It was one of North Carolina’s false Springs. Andrei could handle winter, but he still could not handle how unpredictable North Carolina’s weather was. Seventy degrees one day and snowing the next week. It was one of those random hot and humid days early in the year and Dougie suggested going outside for a run before their regular session. They had been cooped up for months and the fresh air seemed like a good idea.

They planned to meet outside, near the side entrance to their building, and Andrei happened to get there first. He was picking a playlist to run to when he heard Dougie calling his name. He looked up and raised his arm in greeting and then his mind went immediately blank. _What the fuck_. Dougie was _shirtless_ , wearing only a pair of shorts and sneakers. “You ready to go?” Andrei quickly forced his brain to reboot and not just stare at Dougie’s chest. Taking his silence as a yes, Dougie responded with an, “Okay. Let’s go!” Usually they’d run side by side, but Andrei can’t trust himself to not stare right now so he decides to run behind. But as they go further and further down the road, Andrei can’t stop watching the sweat drop down Dougie’s back. He’s so concentrated on one particular line that he doesn’t even notice Dougie slowing down and stopping. Andrei smacks straight into him and Dougie has to catch him as he stumbles. “Falling for me already?” _You have no idea._

**Step 6.** _Don't rush. Move the weight in an unhurried, controlled fashion. Taking it slow helps you isolate the muscles you want to work and keeps you from relying on momentum to lift the weight. Rest for about one minute between each exercise._

Andrei was getting antsy. While he was always patient during practice, he got to let loose during games, pushing and hitting anyone in his way. He felt like his progress was slowly down now. While he had some success, his body still wasn’t where he wanted it to be, and his birthday was getting closer and closer. Obviously, he knew he wouldn’t be as massive as Dougie, but it felt like even Warren was more successful than him and he wasn’t even putting in as much work as Andrei! He was trying his best to be positive, but he was at the end of his rope. He was waiting less and less time in between each rep and while that’s not something most people would notice, Dougie did.

“Alright. Let’s go.” Andrei looked up at Dougie, “Where? What do you mean?” Dougie sighed, slightly dramatic, “I mean, you look incredibly frustrated at that weight as if it’s personally wronged you, when I know it hasn’t. So, put it down, let’s leave this gym, go out, and get your mind off of things.” Andrei struggled with what to do. On one hand he felt like he had to finish his routine but at the same time he hated doing it today. Dougie made the decision for him, taking the weight out of Andrei’s hand, pushing him up into a standing position, and led him out the door. Andrei complied easily and followed Dougie out of the gym. “Where are we going?” Dougie smiled as he answered, “We’re getting ice cream from our favorite place. I’ll buy you the waffle cone and everything.” Andrei couldn’t help but smile back, Dougie _always_ knew how to make him feel better. He hadn’t had ice cream in _so_ long and he didn’t realize how much he needed a break from everything and actually reward himself for all the hard work he had accomplished. Dougie payed for them both, like a gentleman, and when he handed Andrei his waffle cone, he realized that Dougie remembered his favorite flavor too. He looked into Dougie’s eyes for a second too long as he thanked him and as he ate the cold ice cream, warmth flooded throughout his body and he thought, this is what happiness tastes like. 

**Step 7.** _Don't overdo it. For most people, completing one set of exercises to the point of fatigue is usually enough. Additional sets may take up extra time and contribute to an overload injury._

Andrei tried his best to take more breaks and “treat himself” like Dougie urged. It was almost his birthday now and he wasn’t as close to two hundred pounds like he envisioned but Dougie told him that it was okay and that he was proud of how dedicated Andrei had been to his resolution, how that proved how much he’s matured. Andrei desperately wished he hadn’t so quickly blushed at those words, but he couldn’t help himself, like always. He was also trying his best not to push Dougie too hard. He stopped grunting and flexing as much now and definitely did not put Dougie’s hand on his chest again but they still spent hours and hours of every day together, forming something Andrei couldn’t quite explain, something he was scared would fall apart if he tried to.

While he has been working hard on his patience outside of practice and more into everyday life, Dougie was the one area his patience wasn’t progressing. At the same time, he didn’t want to damage what they already had, and the balance between wanting too much but being terrified to making a move tormented him almost daily now. He was thinking about Dougie so much, he completely missed the man actually walk into the gym. Feeling two hands on his feet startled him out of his thoughts. “Are you even counting how many crunches you’re doing?” Andrei didn’t know how to answer, “ _No, sorry I was just thinking about you. It’s all I do now a days.”_ Then he realized Dougie was still waiting for an answer and all he could fumble out was a, “Uh, no?” Thankfully, Dougie only laughed in return. “Thinking about what you’ll get for your birthday?” Andrei shook his head, “No, just about…stuff. You know…the usual.” _Smooth, Andrei._ Dougie pressed down on his feet harder, “Okay. Well, get your mind out of the gutter and start counting.”

Andrei quickly laid back down to actually start his warm-up. As he lifted his upper body up to meet Dougie he couldn’t help but to, _yet again_ , stare at Dougie’s face longer than necessary. _One._ He lowered himself back onto the mat. _Stop staring at him, my god._ He pushed himself back up. _Two._ Dougie looked so intense, concentrated on counting for Andrei, helping him reach his goal. He went back down. _Dougie was always ready to help him, with anything, at any time_. _What did I do to deserve him?_ He went back up to face Dougie. _Three_. Dougie smiled, “You’re doing great!” He’s literally only on his third crunch and Dougie’s already giving him encouragement. He goes down slowly, breathing in deep. _You could have that forever if you just tried._ He slowly went back up. _Four._ He and Dougie were face to face, inches apart. He waited a second, gathering up his courage. Dougie finally looked at him, realizing that Andrei was actually stopping, not just slowing down. “Tired already?” Andrei moved closer, “No”, and then closed the gap between them, putting one hand around Dougie’s neck and the other in his hair, pulling him close. Dougie tasted exactly how he thought he would. 

**Step 8.** _Don't ignore pain. If an exercise causes pain, stop_.

He doesn’t know how long they stayed in that position, but it wasn’t long enough as Warren came into the gym seconds? minutes? later. Andrei wasn’t sure, it was like time had stopped. They quickly broke apart. Thankfully with the way they were faced, Dougie’s back was to the door, and with Warren not fully paying attention, busy picking a playlist on Spotify for their gym session, he didn’t appear to see anything. Warren glanced down at them, “Hey, why are you so red Svech? How long have you been working out?” Dougie, _thank God_ , answered for him, “He’s been here a while, starting way before me, I just got here too.” “Cool. I got today’s playlist! Let’s all get started.” Andrei quickly shot up from the ground and moved to the weights, leaving Dougie sitting there, who took an extra minute before getting up to hit the treadmill.

They didn’t talk about it. They honestly couldn’t. Between the extra on-ice practice, back to back games, and constant travel for weeks there was almost no time for just the two of them. March was always crazy for any team, but Andrei swears the NHL has it out for them with this schedule. He doesn’t like hotel gyms and with the rest of team there, there was no real opportune moment. It was so frustrating not knowing what Dougie was thinking. They were both acting normal, as if nothing had happened, they didn’t need to talk to know not to raise any suspicion. He knew Sebastian and Teuvo knew something was up and feared they’d ask. He kept getting distracted whenever he thought about Dougie, but their line-up wasn’t affected by it too much. However, the other two could tell he wasn’t all the way there, but thankfully they didn’t push him about it. There was also the added pressure of acting close with Dougie for the team and the cameras, who all talked about their chemistry, but not acting _too_ close to Dougie as no one else knew just _how much_ chemistry.

Before he knew it, it was the 26th, and he was officially turning twenty. The team insisted on taking him out, which he expected. While it was annoying he still didn’t meet the legal drinking age in the States, he was glad he wouldn’t be under the influence and do something spectacularly stupid in front of the whole team, like kiss his best friend in a public place _again_. Not being able to act on his feelings, while trying to pretend he didn’t have them? It hurt. He knows he’s supposed to be mature and no longer be a whiny teenager, but he just wanted to work things out before celebrating. What were they? Was it all a mistake for Dougie? _But he kissed you back._ Was it just a one-time thing? _But he still touches you all the time, still makes the extra effort to know if you’re okay when no one else does._ What if it was all just for fun and he didn’t feel the same way? _But Dougie wouldn’t lead you on. He’s not that kind of guy. You wouldn’t want him if he was._

_+_

They were at some club Andrei didn’t care about. Warren insisted on making Andrei wear an extremely tight, white t-shirt and dark, skinny jeans to emphasize all the hard work he’d been putting in. “No one will be able to keep their eyes off of you!”, Warren proclaimed proudly, slapping him on the back. _I hope so._ As the club played some new song Andrei didn’t know, he looked around, searching for one specific person. Off in a corner, Dougie was sipping on a drink, quietly talking to Justin and Jordan, probably about their families. He was honestly surprised they even came out considering their kids. But as team captains, they no doubt felt the need to look after them too, their unofficial children. Dougie was also wearing a skintight shirt, no doubt also Warren’s work, and it definitely was working, and Andrei was definitely not the only one checking Dougie out. The man literally took up a lot of room, but he wasn’t at all threatening despite his size. A couple of groups of girls kept giving him glances but Dougie was focused on the conversation at hand.

Finally, Dougie looked around and smiled at Andrei when he saw him looking. Just before he could smile back, someone tapped him on the shoulder. It was a very pretty girl, not wearing what could be considered too little clothing but showing just enough skin for a night out. He supposes he was doing the male equivalent of whatever she was doing with his outfit. “Want to buy me a drink?”, she asked somewhat politely but with just enough confidence underneath it. It was the kind of borderline between kindness and assuredness that Andrei liked, but in someone else. Thankfully he had a genuine out, pointing to the X on his hand, he simply says, “Sorry”. The girl takes it in stride, “Worth a shot. You’re really cute though!” and walks back to her group of friends. He feels someone put their arm around his shoulder. Warren comes up from behind, “Come on, Svech! It’s your birthday! You definitely could’ve turned that around in your way!” Andrei shrugs, “I just wasn’t interested.” Warren gives him a knowing look, “Okay, but you still should get laid tonight.” Andrei’s sneaks a quick glance back to where Dougie is standing but he’s no longer looking at Andrei, having resumed his conversation with Justin and Jordan.

Warren squeezed his shoulder, “Dude. You’re not subtle. Like, _at all_. I know all that grunting and flexing was for him. Why do think I stayed away from our gym so much? I was hoping you’d finally get your shit together by now. Especially after the kiss.” Andrei eyes widened in shock, “You saw that?” Warren laughed, “Yeah, man. Anyone in the building could have walked in. You’re lucky it was me so I could stop you two before anyone else came in.” Andrei slumped his shoulders and sighed, “We haven’t had the time to talk about it. Not with everything going on.” Warren rolled his eyes, “You definitely could have made time if you really wanted to. You’re just scared to confront the truth, which is so stupid! You’re both obviously in love with each other!” Andrei shook his head, “I’m still not 100 percent sure about how serious Dougie feels though”. Warren somehow rolled his eyes and head back even further, very clearly frustrated at him, “He’s always looking at you. _Always_. And not in a friend kind of way. All that showing off and weight spotting definitely worked. I felt super gross even looking you two, I mean you’re my best friends and everything, but I don’t need to see or hear all that. You were literally making sex noises for Dougie and he was eating that shit up. I was surprised he could even make it through a set. I mean, if you’re _that_ horny just jump him. Trust me, he won’t complain.” 

Andrei was beet red by now, he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. _Was Dougie really staring at him all this time? When he thought he was the one obsessed?_ Warren scoffed at Andrei’s thoughtful expression, “Svech”, he paused for a second, growing more serious. “Andrei”, pulling out his first name was a big deal, the team almost always calling him by his nickname, only Dougie used his first name. “Andrei, I swear to God I am _not_ lying to you. Listen, I’d rather be the third wheel of you two actually dating instead of all this tension. This ‘will they won’t they’ bullshit? I’m so tired of it. It’s been a long fucking season. Please, I’m _begging_ you to do something. He kissed you back the first time, right? Just do that again.” Andrei slowing nodded his head in acceptance, “Okay”, He took a deep breath, hyping himself up, ”Okay”. He finally looked Warren straight in the eye, _“Okay”_. Warren looked concerned now, “Did I break you?” Andrei smiled, confidence surging, “No, I _got_ this.” He turned to where Dougie was standing but he was already gone. _Was it that late already?_

Andrei rushed over to Justin and Jordan, “Hey! Where did Dougie go?” Justin and Jordan looked at each other, waiting a beat, Justin answered, “He left a little while ago. Saw that girl approach you and mumbled something about not wanting to ruin your night.” Andrei groaned in frustration, running his hand through his hair, looking around as if Dougie would still magically be there, “But I turned her down!” Justin and Jordan shared another look. _Did they have captain telepathy? A special dad connection?_ “What?”, Andrei demanded. “If we tell you where he went, do you promise to get your shit together and stop using weightlifting to seduce your teammate?” Andrei spluttered, “I…I wasn’t…” “You can’t lie to us, kid”, Jordan interrupted. Andrei scoffed; a decade apart did _not_ make him a ‘kid’. Jordan continued, ignoring Andrei, “You two are _so_ oblivious, it’s actually really annoying. Everyone complains, you know.” Andrei eyes widened, “...Everyone?” They nodded, “Everyone.” He sighed, “Okay, so where is he?” Justin and Jordan both hesitate, Andrei realizes they probably just want to make the whole team happy and not have him fuck this up, “I _promise_ I will do something.” Justin finally gives in, believing his promise, “He’s in Doretha Dix Park. Wanted to walk around, clear his head of a certain _someone_.” Andrei was already running out at ‘Dix’. “Thanks!”, he yelled back over his shoulder. He went past Sebastian and Teuvo, who were talking quickly in Finnish. “Already leaving? It’s your birthday! It’s not late enough!”, Teuvo exclaimed. “Or not early enough”, Sebastian added. Andrei smirked, “I have to go get my present.” They shared a confused look, “But we all already got you stuff?” Andrei smirked again, “ _He’s_ at the Park, actually.” Sebastian whistled, “Finally getting your shit together?” _Everyone really knew, huh?_ “You’re the third person to tell me that tonight”, Andrei laughed at himself for being so dumb. He quickly hugged them both before starting to leave again.

Andrei drove as fast as he could to Doretha Dix. Dougie and Warren always complained about how he drove too fast and how he would get a ticket someday, constantly going way over the speed limit. But he feels like if Dougie knew where he was heading right now, he wouldn’t complain. It was an eight-minute drive from Glenwood. Andrei did it in four. Andrei drove around a bit until he saw Dougie’s car. He parked terribly in the rush and jumped out, pulling out his phone and calling Dougie as fast as he could (he was already a starred contact). The rings last only seconds but feel longer. Finally, Dougie picks up. “Hello? Andrei?” He breathes out deeply, he didn’t even realize he had been holding his breath, “Which part of the park are you in?” Dougie takes a second to respond, “Wait…are you _here_? Why aren’t you still at the club? Or with that girl? It’s your birthday.” Andrei groaned, “Dougie, you are dumb. Please tell me which part of the park you are in? Are you far from your car?” Again, Dougie takes a beat, “Yeah, I’m right in the middle, looking at the skyline.” “Okay”, Andrei ends the call and runs.

Dougie is so confused. Why is Andrei at the park looking for him during his birthday party? He should be out having fun, finally being in his twenties. God, that made Dougie feel so old and really, really guilty. This season had been difficult. Not because of the games and pressure, no, he was used to that. But Andrei just _had to_ decide to bulk up and have Dougie join him on his ‘journey’. Months and months of watching him build muscle, having dinners with him, and just the constant presence of Andrei, Dougie was in _deep_ and he didn’t know how to get out. When Andrei finally kissed him in their gym a few weeks ago, Dougie was beyond happy, couldn’t even put his feelings of those few precious moments into words. But Warren coming in snapped him out of it. Then he began to worry. It genuinely wasn’t either of their faults with the busy schedule the NHL put them on (surely to torture them). But the longer they had to wait to find time alone, the more he began poke holes into his dreams, finding all the ways they wouldn’t work out. Honestly? There were a few moments they could’ve talked but Dougie was scared. _What if Andrei suddenly backed out and didn’t want him anymore? What if they ruined their friendship?_

He heard a shout and turned around. “Dougie!”, Andrei had called out. Andrei was running towards him with a determined but happy look on his face. Andrei didn’t slow down as he got closer, crashing into Dougie, causing them to both fall onto the ground. Before Dougie could even ask what the hell was going on Andrei’s lips were on his. It was aggressive, messy, and uncoordinated but it was also amazing, endearing, and so right. He didn’t want to but Dougie broke the kiss, he really needed to breathe. Andrei whined at the loss of contact. Dougie laughed at him, asking, “Shouldn’t we talk about this first?” Andrei pretended to think about it for a second before answering, “No”, and tried to kiss him again. Dougie pushed Andrei back up but he really had gained a lot of muscle and Dougie was met with more resistance than he was expecting. Still, he kept Andrei at bay, protesting, “Andrei, we can’t just make out in the middle of the park at one o’clock in the morning.” Andrei pouted, “Why not? No one else is here!” His pout turned into a smirk, “We don’t _just_ have to kiss, you know.” Dougie eyes widen at the insinuation, “Um, no. This is a public park so what you’re suggesting is public indecency. Also, our apartment is literally fifteen minutes from here. You won’t actually have to wait that long if we go home.” Andrei pushed him further down into the grass, “I don’t think so. I’ve been waiting all season.” Dougie won’t lie, he was tempted, _very_ tempted, but he’s also the Mature Adult™ in this relationship so he put his arms around Andrei’s waist and picked him up, carrying him off the ground. Andrei let out a sound of surprise, he clearly was not expecting Dougie to be able to do that. “You know, if you can wait till we’re home, I can hold you up like this for as long as you want.” Andrei shivered at his tone, quickly nodding as he processed all the possibilities that implied, “Okay. I can wait.” It was Dougie’s turn to smirk.

Dougie kept his promise. His arms might have been a little sore the next morning but waking up next to Andrei in his bed (and thirty texts from the team, mainly congratulating them) it was all _definitely_ worth it.

**Author's Note:**

> I tried my best! Hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> A lot of this is based on the Scootering with the Three Amigos video: They live somewhere in North Hills which is 15 minutes from Dorothea Dix Park with Glenwood Ave. in between them. (I won't call out any specific club on Glenwood but let's be honest some are not great.) Kilwins is the ice cream shop in North Hills. If you haven't been to Dorothea Dix please go! 
> 
> Cashiers at Harris Teeter don't actually judge customers that often because they see A Lot but sometimes if it's really, really crazy they might. 
> 
> I can also personally confirm NC's false springs. 
> 
> And if you haven't heard the song I got the title from you're missing out on some great MoTown!
> 
> You can talk to me on [tumblr](https://ilikemyficthicc.tumblr.com/)


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